Family
by HistoryLights
Summary: Full Summary inside


Family Ties

summary: A serial killer is loose in Gotham and Metropolis, prompting the duo of Batman and Superman to join forces once again to exact justice. But when Batman's 13-year-old son, Tim, goes missing; it becomes a desperate race against time to locate the boy before the killer is finished with him and both heroes will have to look inside themselves to find the true meaning of family.

Rated: T+ for some scary scenes and ultimate Occness from the Bat.

_Italicized=thoughts_

Author's note: Some ages of the characters are approximated

Chapter one: M-O

"What exactly DO we know then?!" thundered Police Commissioner James Gordon. The forensic scientist in front of him trembled as he handed over the ominous manilla folder.

"We were able to identify three of the five victims with the help of a facial reconstructionist." When Gordon raised eyebrow the younger man explained, "That's when an anthropologist takes the skull of the victim and based on skull size, shape, and type, can recreate what the victim might have looked like when they were alive."

"I know what what facial reconstruction is Dillard," Gordon sighed. "I meant, why do we only have three identifications?"

Dillard grinned sheepishly, "Oh. Well, we only have three because two were killed in Metropolis and their forensic team wants to handle those. They'll send information as they get it. We're doing the same."

Gordon nodded his approval. "Thanks Dillard. I'm going to review these files in my office. I'll buzz if I need anything else." The scientist nodded and walked off to the lab. Gordon sighed and made his way to his office on the opposite side of the building. Past the cubicles of the other officers all fighting for the same thing as him: to stop a monster before he murdered another innocent person.

He slumped into his chair, silently giving thanks that his beloved daughter Barbra was home safe. He glanced at his wall calender and sighed.

Three months. Three long, agonizing and terrifying months of dead ends and rising body count of as yet unidentified victims. They were all young. That was the only thing the coroner had been able to say as far as identity. The bodies had been too mutilated to distinguish the exact age and gender. Well maybe the file Dillard had given him would shed some light in the proverbial darkness.

He flipped open the folder and began to read the report on what the anthropologist had discovered. He eyes grew wide with horror with every word he read. When he came to the attached photos of the victims' faces, he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.

"Son of a Bitch." he whispered. He pressed a button next to his name plate. "Put the signal on. We need Batman here NOW!"

B&S B&S B&S

"I said _no_ and I meant it."

"What are you gonna do? Spank me?"

"Maybe I should, this attitude of yours has gone on long enough."

"You can't do that! You're not my dad!"

"As of three weeks ago, Tim, I am. But if you don't agree with that, the door is right there, feel free to walk out at any time."

Tim stopped whatever insult he had been about to toss and stared at Bruce in shock. His bottom lip began to tremble and he raced up the stairs. Bruce winced as a door upstairs slammed shut. He sighed and rubbed his throbbing temples; slumped on the living room couch in Wayne Manor.

_Open mouth; insert foot._ He thought. Another sigh sounded behind him and he knew he wasn't alone. He looked over his shoulder to see his long time friend and butler, Alfred Pennyworth standing with his not so long time but still good friend, Clark Kent. He felt his face color slightly wondering just how long the two had been watching his row with Tim.

He got his answer when Alfred said, "Brilliant thing to say to a child Master Bruce. I can see your parenting skills are improving with rapid haste." Bruce scowled at his surrogate father and then glared at the man beside him, daring him to comment.

Clark's eyes held a quiet scold and a promise to talk later. Out loud the reporter said, "Am I at least allowed to ask what you were fighting _about_?"

Bruce rolled his eyes. "Let's see, there's a serial killer on the loose and I can't be with my sidekick 24/7, so I told him he wouldn't be allowed out until this man (or woman, though the likelihood of the murderer being female is highly improbable) was caught and imprisoned. Tim got angry and I'm pretty sure you heard the rest of the conversation in your impromptu eavesdropping." Again he glared at the intruders. "Any _other_ questions?"

Both wisely shook their heads. "I'm sure he knows you're only watching out for him." Clark said in support. Bruce sighed for the third time that night.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he grumbled. "Especially after that last comment. I'm definitely going to win Father of the Year."

For a moment, the man looked so miserable that Clark felt sorry for him. It had really been hard when Dick Grayson, Bruce's oldest adopted son, had decided to leave four years ago. The boy, well man really since he was almost 23, now lived and worked as a patrol officer in Bludhaven, several miles away. When Clark first heard about Bruce adopting another young orphan, he had hoped that his friend would be able to put his doubts about his parenting skills behind him. Obviously his hopes were as yet unfounded.

And it wasn't even as if Bruce was a bad father. He'd had a great example to go off of with his own father, Thomas Wayne (for the short while Bruce had known him) and Alfred was always ready and willing to lend a hand in raising any lad to walk through the door.

And Tim was a great kid. A little insubordinate at times, but that was to be expected from a boy who was accustomed to the rules of the streets and not the home/manor.

Clark opened his mouth to tell this to his friend when Bruce looked away from them and out the window. He put up a hand to further silence him. Clark knew what it was.

The Bat-Single. It was time to go to work. Clark turned to head to the Batcave but stopped when he caught Bruce staring longingly at the stairs. Clark bit his lip.

"Not to worry Sir," Alfred said placing a hand on his surrogate son's shoulder. "I'll have a word with him." Bruce nodded and followed Clark down to the Cave.

B&S B&S B&S

"Good evening Commissioner," Batman said as he and Superman landed on the roof of the Gotham Police Station. The night was silent. Had been for over three months. It seems all of the regular criminals had decided to play it safe and stay indoors while the police tried to catch much more dangerous murderer. And Arkham Asylum seemed to be doing its job for once and keeping Gotham's more "mentally challenged" criminals away from the general public.

The Commissioner looked at the two of them. Though he wasn't too terribly surprised to see the Man of Steel, it was still a rather disconcerting site to see them both together, standing side by side in all of their bulk. And without a third party....

"No Robin tonight?" he asked, not wanting to say why he had called. Batman raised an eyebrow at the question.

"I thought it best that he stay at the Cave as a precaution," he replied. "Have you found any new leads?"

Gordon averted his eyes. Leave it to Batman to get straight down to business. "Well, we have managed to ID the three victims found in Gotham," here Gordon paused and looked to Superman. "Has the Metropolis team had any luck in that area yet?" he asked. Superman shook his head.

"Not that I know of. I'll check when we're done here Commissioner," he replied. "Who are the victims. I know the chief examiner said that they were young. Just how young are we talking?"

Again, Gordon sighed. "Maybe you should take a look at the file, my forensics team put together. And if I were you, I would LOCK that sidekick of yours in the cave until we find this monster." He held out a folder and as he took it Superman couldn't help but notice the slight tremble in the commissioner's hand.

Superman flipped open the folder and scanned the contents. "Batman you need to look at this." he said in stunned horror. Batman leaned over his ally's shoulder impatiently and the notes in the file:

_Victim number one: Robert Jorgston_

_ approximate age: 14_

_ hair: black_

_ eyes: blue_

_ approximate height: 4' 7"_

_ Victims number two: Jonathan Tashio_

_ approximate age: 13_

_ hair: black_

_ eyes: blue_

_ approximate height: 4' 5 1/4"_

_ Victim number three: Benjamin Robertson_

_ approximate age: 13_

_hair: black_

_ eyes: blue_

_ approximate height: 5' 1 2/3"_

Batman was barely breathing; how could he? "I would say that they are pretty damn young Superman," he said sarcastically. His eyes paused on two words. "You did facial reconstruction on the boys?" he directed his question at Gordon.

"Yes, the photos are in the back of the file. I already have men putting in calls to the parents of prospective victims; and to the area schools so that they can be on the lookout as well." Neither hero was barely listening as they flipped to the last page with three digital photographs on it.

Three young teens looked out at them and Batman sucked in a sharp breath.

All three boys looked exactly like newly adopted Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne.

Chapter one/end


End file.
